1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to grooming and bathing aides and, in particular, this invention relates to scrubbing brushes which dispense liquids during use.
2. Background of the Invention
Bathing animals is a necessary practice to eliminate objectionable odors and to reduce the incidence of dandruff, rain rot, and other skin disorders. To this end, soaps and detergents are used to clean the animal""s hair and skin and various medications are then applied. However, effectively bathing an animal requires that the entirety of the animal""s hair coat be saturated. If the animal""s coat is not saturated, portions thereof will not be effectively bathed and the animal""s skin will not be effectively cleaned and/or medicated. The soaps, detergents, or medications enable the wash liquid to penetrate and wet the entirety of the animal""s hair coat and skin.
When using bathing aides such as brushes, it is frequently necessary to apply detergents, soaps, medications, or other liquids to the brushes as the brushes are being used. Interrupting scrubbing frequently to apply these liquids is inefficient. Moreover, if animals are being bathed, the animals may become impatient and unmanageable due to these delays. To this end, reservoirs and/or sponges have been integrated into brush designs. When brushes of this design are used the brush is squeezed to force liquids out of the sponge and/or reservoir. The liquids are then usually conveyed through hollow bristles to the area being bathed. However, hollow bristles are often plugged by dirt or debris from the animal or particulates within the liquid. If a sealed reservoir is present, a suction is often generated during use, thereby preventing the liquid from exiting the reservoir for use.
There is then a need a scrub brush which will provide a liquid during bathing. There is a particular need for a scrub brush which will provide the liquid when desired without sectioning or plugging.
This invention substantially meets the aforementioned needs of the industry by providing a scrub brush which provides detergents, soaps, lotions, or other liquids during bathing but does not generate a suction or become plugged during use.
There is provided a brush of this invention, which may include a brush member, a brush cover, and an adjustable handle and is configured to be used with a sponge or the like. The brush member may include a retaining portion and a first plurality of bristles depending from the retaining portion. The retaining portion may display an upper surface and a lower surface and may define a second plurality of orifices, each of the second plurality of orifices may extend between the upper surface and the lower surface. Each of the said second plurality of orifices may optionally be interspersed between two of the first plurality of bristles, further optionally in an offsetting manner. The brush cover may be disposable over the retaining portion and may define a first and second slot. The adjustable handle may be attached to the brush member and may be accommodated through the first and second brush cover slots.
There is further provided a brush, the brush including a brush member, first and second handle members, a generally concave brush cover, and a sponge. The brush member may include a retaining portion and a first plurality of bristles extending from a lower surface of the retainer portion. Each of the first and second handle members may integrally extend from the brush member. The first handle member may reversibly and adjustably mate to the second handle member. The brush cover may define a pair of laterally disposed slots, each of the slots accommodating one of the first and second handle members. The sponge may be disposable in the retaining portion.
It is a feature of the present scrub brush to include an adjustable handle.
It is an advantage of the foregoing feature that the handle may be adjusted to snugly and comfortably fit the hand of a user.
It is another feature of the scrub brush of this invention to include a brush member retaining portion.
It is an advantage of the foregoing feature that a sponge may be retainingly accommodated within the retaining portion.
It is yet another feature of the scrub brush retaining portion of this invention to define a plurality of orifices extending between an upper surface of the retaining portion and a lower surface of the retaining portion, optionally in an offsetting relation to one or more of the bristles.
It is an advantage of the foregoing feature that the orifices are less likely to be plugged during use, therefore liquids will be dispensed more dependably and uniformly.
It is still yet another feature of the scrub brush of this invention to optionally include a plurality of projections extending from a lower surface of the present brush cover.
It is an advantage of the foregoing feature that the sponge disposed between the brush cover and partially within the retaining portion will be held more securely by the projections.
It is still yet another feature of the present invention that the retaining portion is in unsealed fluid communication with ambient air during use.
It is an advantage of the foregoing feature that use will not generate a suction or negative air pressure to inhibit the flow of expelled liquids during use.
It is still yet another feature of the present invention that the adjustable handle is accommodated within laterally opposed slots of the present brush cover.
It is an advantage of the foregoing feature that the brush cover is securely held during use when the adjustable handle is accommodated within the laterally opposed slots.
It is another advantage of the foregoing feature that a sponge disposed in the brush member retaining portion is held more securely when the adjustable handle is accommodated within the laterally opposed slots.
It is still yet another feature of the present invention that the brush cover is optionally convex, or arcuate in cross section.
It is an advantage of the foregoing feature that the brush cover conforms to a user""s palm during use.
It is yet still another feature of the present brush that some embodiments are made from materials which can withstand sterilization.
It is an advantage of the foregoing feature that diseases will not be transmitted between animals because the present brush can be sterilized after use.
It is still yet another feature of the present brush that some embodiments thereof can be made from a substantially flexible material.
It is an advantage of the foregoing feature that the present brush is more effective because it can be bent during use to conform to the animal""s bodily topology, such as around the animal""s head, legs, and junctions of the animal""s legs and body.
It is yet still another feature of the present brush to include a substantially open reservoir.
It is one advantage of the substantially open reservoir that the sponge operably disposed therein is easily accessible for replacement.
It is another advantage that the substantially open reservoir facilitates applying liquids to the sponge disposed therein.
It is still yet another feature of the present brush to include a liquid storage element, such as a sponge.
It is an advantage of the foregoing feature that sponge holds liquids in spite of the open reservoir until being compressed during use.
It is yet still another feature of the present brush to include substantially pliable bristles in at least one embodiment.
It is one advantage of the foregoing feature that the pliable bristles provide a therapeutic massage to the animal""s skin during bathing.
It is a feature of the present brush that the components thereof are assembled by placing the sponge within the reservoir and securing the sponge by extending the handle through the brush cover slits.
It is one advantage of the foregoing feature that the present brush is easily assembled, used, cleaned, reassembled, and stored.
These and other objects, features, and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the description which follows, when considered in view of the accompanying drawings.